


Amusement

by OriginalImpossibleSouffleGirl



Series: Romance in the Apocalypse [3]
Category: Sleepy Hollow (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-29
Updated: 2014-10-29
Packaged: 2018-02-23 02:45:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2531165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OriginalImpossibleSouffleGirl/pseuds/OriginalImpossibleSouffleGirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Abbie and Crane take a day off.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Amusement

**Author's Note:**

> Wrote this for a friend who wanted Crane and Abbie on a Ferris wheel, and well... this is the best I could do.

Abbie had to congratulate herself on quick thinking. Well, more like strategic thinking. After having to endure days of Crane’s ranting on Reyes; his lack of liberty; horrible historical inaccuracies in public school curricula; the indignities of public bathrooms; the picture on his newly-minted fake passport, and—a frequent favorite—the untrustworthiness of Nick Hawley, she had had _enough_ and had finally just decided to take Crane to a place no one could possibly be cranky for long: Rye Playland.

  
She had an inkling Crane was a bit of a thrill-seeker and she wanted to see how he did with the kiddie rides before maybe one day taking the longer trip to Six Flags. It was only after following Crane’s long-legged stride through the _whole_ park that she realized she might have slightly underestimated just how big a kid was hiding in that cranky history professor exterior. He insisted on riding _every_ ride—even the actual kid ones—and it was hard not to be enchanted by his enthusiasm. Abbie had to admit that maybe he really _had_ needed a bit of a break.  
  
“Lieutenant!”  
  
She hurried a little to catch up to him, a little tired, but not wanting to dampen his mood by admitting it.  
  
“Lieutenant, what is _that_?”  
  
Abbie looked at what he was pointing at and had to smile. It was her favorite.  
  
“We call that a Ferris wheel. It’s not as exciting as the go karts or the bumper cars, I’m sorry to say.” Abbie chuckled at the memory of Crane’s long legs crammed into the tiny cars.  
  
“But you favor it,” Crane said, with a glance at her.  
  
“How’d you—right. Vigenère cipher,” Abbie smiled. “It _is_ my favorite. When Jenny and I were little, my mom used to—“  
  
Her smile faltered, and Crane moved closer, silently offering support.  
  
Abbie seemed to shake herself and continued. “We used to pretend we were flying. Got our minds off a lot of things, you know?”  
  
Crane offered a small nod.  
  
“Well, then,” he said, “we must take a turn.”  
  
“You don’t have to tell me twice! It’ll be nice to take a little break.”  
  
The line was short, and it didn’t take long for them to be settled in one of the cars. Surprisingly, this was one of the rides in which Crane didn’t look like Gulliver in Lilliput, but the car did seem a little smaller than Abbie remembered. She could feel his warmth all along her left side and it made her feel things that were better off never examined too closely.   
  
_Married. Time traveler. Way not interested. Get a grip, Mills._  
  
Abbie took her own advice and gripped the bar when the attendant latched it.  
  
“Right,” Crane murmured, eyeing the bar a little apprehensively.  
  
She nudged him playfully.  
  
“Don’t tell me you’re afraid of heights, Crane. That would be way too ironic for words.”  
  
“Not _afraid_ , lieutenant. I just have a healthy respect for the fact that if our Maker had intended man to be so far from solid ground He would’ve granted us wings.”  
  
“Well,” Abbie said amid giggles, “ _I_ am no man. And I’ll protect you, you big baby. After all those rides, too…”  
  
“I am glad I can once again provide you with amusement, Miss Mills,” Crane gritted out, miffed.  
  
Abbie laid a hand on his arm.   
  
“You’re better than TV.”  
  
  
  
                                                             

* * *

  
  
  
Crane had to admit that he’d had better ideas. He’d just wanted to repay a little of the wonder that Miss Mills had given him, and when he’d seen the way her face had softened at the sight of this—this “Ferris Wheel,” he’d thought he found the perfect way.  
  
And truly, he could handle the heights if he could just see her relax like this more often. When the contraption had started moving—slowly, thank God for small favors—she’d released the security bar and the tension she’d been holding seemed to seep out of her. It also had the added effect of her inadvertently leaning on him, which he had no intention of bringing to her attention. It felt better than he suspected it should, but he selfishly hoarded the feeling.  
  
“How’re you doing, Crane?”  
  
He cleared his throat.  
  
“It has a… certain charm,” he admitted.  
  
“Not scary at all, see?”  
  
“I was never scared, Miss Mills, I merely—“  
  
A loud crank suddenly sounded and the wheel came to an abrupt stop, driving Crane to grip the bar protecting them from certain death.  
  
“Miss Mills, I beg you to assure me that this is completely normal and that we are _not_ currently stranded.”  
  
“Uh…”  
  
Abbie leaned over the bar, trying to get a look at what was happening down on the ground.  
  
“Miss Mills?”  
  
“So, what was George Washington’s favorite joke? I mean, in all the times you’ve talked about him, you’ve never mentioned if he was a pun kind of guy or—“  
  
“Miss Mills!”  
  
She put a hand on one of his, and though the warmth of it comforted him, he was loath to release the only protection he had against plummeting to his death.  
  
“Look, I can’t tell you that we’re not stranded. But I _can_ tell you that the attendant down there doesn’t look too worried… I think. It’s pretty far down.”  
  
At that, Crane made a tiny strangled sound.  
  
“Okay, we can play a game! Or, um… tell stories. You have a million stories, Crane, come on. Tell me something about John Hancock or something.”  
  
“Arrogant thatch-gallows,” Crane bit out.  
  
“Oh. Okay, should’ve guessed that one. What about Jefferson? You said _he_ was a pun guy, right?”  
  
“Lieutenant, I appreciate your efforts, but—“  
  
Abbie took his hand properly and held it in both of hers and suddenly he forgot all but his name and the shock that went through his body at her touch. Before he knew it, he’d maneuvered his hand so that his fingers were interlaced with hers. He dared to meet her eyes and saw in them a bit of worry and more affection than he felt he deserved.  
  
“We’re gonna be okay, Crane.”  
  
And amid the pounding of his heart and the blood rushing his head, there was nothing he believed more.

**Author's Note:**

> There are a few inaccuracies—Rye Playland doesn’t have one of those old-fashioned Ferris wheels, for example, it has the gondola thing which I personally like a little better, but I kinda wanted Abbie and Crane as close as possible. I know you guys won't mind. Previously posted on Tumblr.


End file.
